The plants of the Trigonostemon sp. genus(Euphorbiaceae family) comprising about 50 species worldwide are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia, 10 species of which can be found in southern of China. Phytochemical studies on the plants in the genus have demonstrated a large amount of terpenoids and alkaloids. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated cytotoxicity, antivirus, antibacterial, anti-inflammation and other pharmacological activities. In this paper, chemical compositions and biological activities of Trigonostemon genus at home and abroad over the past decade were summarized, in order to provide scientific basis for the further development and utilization of Trigonostemon plants.
Keywords: Trigonostemon; alkaloids; biological activities; diterpenoids.